Dampening in forming and filling a container

Abstract

Ways of simultaneously forming and filling a container include and/or use a mold (14), a pressure source (20), a blow nozzle (22), and one or more dampening means. The mold (14) has a cavity defining an internal surface and is configured to accept a preform (12). The pressure source (20) is configured to provide a pressurized liquid (18). The blow nozzle (22) is configured to receive the pressurized liquid (18) from the pressure source (20) and transfer the pressurized liquid (18) into the preform (12) to urge the preform (12) to expand toward the internal surface of the mold cavity (16) and form a resultant container, where the liquid (86, 96) remains within the container as an end product. The one or more dampening means is/are configured to reduce water hammer, for example, by coupling such dampening means to one of the blow nozzle (22) and the mold (14).

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A system for simultaneously forming and filling a container comprising:
 a mold having a cavity defining an internal surface and configured to accept a preform;   a pressure source configured to provide a pressurized liquid;   a blow nozzle configured to receive the pressurized liquid from the pressure source and transfer the pressurized liquid into the preform to urge the preform to expand toward the internal surface of the mold cavity and form a resultant container, where the liquid remains within the container as an end product; and   a first dampening means coupled to one of the blow nozzle and the mold.   
     
     
         2 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the pressure source has an inlet, a chamber, an outlet, and a mechanically driven piston-like device moveable within the chamber in a first direction to draw a liquid into the chamber through the inlet and moveable in a second direction to urge the liquid out of the chamber through the outlet as the pressurized liquid. 
     
     
         3 . The system of  claim 2 , wherein the piston-like device is one of a piston, a pump, and an accumulator, the system further comprises a stretch rod configured to mechanically stretch the preform within the mold cavity prior to the pressurized liquid being transferred into the preform by the blow nozzle, wherein the stretch rod is vented. 
     
     
         4 . The system of  claim 1 , wherein the first dampening means includes a member selected from a group consisting of a weight-loaded piston dampener, a spring dampener, and a pneumatic piston dampener. 
     
     
         5 . The system of  claim 4 , wherein the dampening means includes a pneumatic piston dampener. 
     
     
         6 . The system of  claim 5 , wherein the pneumatic piston dampener includes a piston having a contact surface coupled to the one of the blow nozzle and the mold, the piston sealing a volume of gas, the piston configured to move and compress the volume of gas when a force is applied to the contact surface. 
     
     
         7 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the volume of gas is pressurized above atmospheric pressure. 
     
     
         8 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the contact surface is coupled to the blow nozzle remotely from where the blow nozzle receives the pressurized liquid from the pressure source. 
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 6 , wherein the contact surface is coupled to the mold remotely from where the mold accepts the preform. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 1 , further comprising a second dampening means coupled to the other one of the blow nozzle and the mold. 
     
     
         11 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein the first dampening means and the second dampening means each comprise a pneumatic piston dampener including a piston having a contact surface coupled to the respective one of the blow nozzle and the mold, the piston sealing a volume of gas, the piston configured to move and compress the volume of gas when a force is applied to the contact surface. 
     
     
         12 . The system of  claim 10 , wherein:
 the first dampening means comprises a first pneumatic piston dampener including a first piston having a first contact surface coupled to the blow nozzle opposite from where the blow nozzle receives the pressurized liquid from the pressure source, the first piston sealing a first volume of gas, the first piston configured to move and compress the first volume of gas when a first force is applied to the first contact surface; and   the second dampening means comprises a second pneumatic piston dampener including a second piston having a second contact surface coupled to the mold opposite from where the mold accepts the preform, the second piston sealing a second volume of gas, the second piston configured to move and compress the second volume of gas when a second force is applied to the second contact surface.   
     
     
         13 . A method of simultaneously forming and filling a container comprising:
 applying a pressure to a liquid using a pressure source to provide a pressurized liquid, the pressure source having an inlet, a chamber, an outlet, and a mechanically driven piston-like device moveable within the chamber in a first direction to draw the liquid into the chamber through the inlet and moveable in a second direction to urge the liquid out of the chamber through the outlet as the pressurized liquid;   dispensing the pressurized liquid from the pressure source to a blow nozzle, the blow nozzle configured to transfer the pressurized liquid into a preform within a mold, the mold having a cavity defining an internal surface and configured to accept the preform;   expanding the preform toward the internal surface of the mold cavity using the pressurized liquid to form a resultant container, where the liquid remains within the container as an end product; and   dampening a first force using a first dampening means, the first force resulting from one of: dispensing the pressurized liquid from the pressure source to the blow nozzle, and transferring the pressurized liquid into the preform within the mold.   
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein prior to dispensing the pressurized liquid from the pressure source to the blow nozzle, using a stretch rod to mechanically stretch the preform within the mold cavity. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein expanding the preform toward the internal surface of the mold cavity using the pressurized liquid to form the resultant container includes venting the preform through the stretch rod. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the first dampening means includes a member selected from a group consisting of a weight-loaded piston dampener, a spring dampener, and a pneumatic piston dampener. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the first dampening means includes a pneumatic piston dampener. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the pneumatic piston dampener includes a piston having a contact surface, the piston sealing a volume of gas, the piston configured to move and compress the volume of gas when a first force is applied to the contact surface, the first force resulting from the one of: dispensing the pressurized liquid from the pressure source to the blow nozzle, and transferring the pressurized liquid into the preform within the mold. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18 , wherein:
 the contact surface is coupled to the blow nozzle opposite from where the blow nozzle receives the pressurized liquid from the pressure source when the first force results from dispensing the pressurized liquid from the pressure source to the blow nozzle; or   the contact surface is coupled to the mold opposite from where the mold accepts the preform when the first force results from transferring the pressurized liquid into the preform within the mold.   
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 13 , further comprising dampening a second force using a second dampening means, the second force resulting from the other one of: dispensing the pressurized liquid from the pressure source to the blow nozzle, and transferring the pressurized liquid into the preform within the mold. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 20 , wherein:
 the first dampening means comprises a first pneumatic piston dampener including a first piston having a first contact surface coupled to the blow nozzle opposite from where the blow nozzle receives the pressurized liquid from the pressure source, the first piston sealing a first volume of gas, the first piston configured to move and compress the first volume of gas when the first force is applied to the first contact surface, the first force resulting from dispensing the pressurized liquid from the pressure source to the blow nozzle; and   the second dampening means comprises a second pneumatic piston dampener including a second piston having a second contact surface coupled to the mold opposite from where the mold accepts the preform, the second piston sealing a second volume of gas, the second piston configured to move and compress the second volume of gas when the second force is applied to the second contact surface, the second force resulting from transferring the pressurized liquid into the preform within the mold.